Segmented planar imaging detector for electro-optical reconnaissance (SPIDER) is an imaging system formed with waveguide arrays and other components needed to combine light rays from separate optical collectors, such as telescopes or lenslets. The SPIDER can achieve the performance capability needed by a number of space missions in a radically compressed and low-mass and/or -power package. The SPIDER has been used in a number of imaging systems such as heterodyne imaging systems, which leverages the SPIDER concept to develop photonics-enabled heterodyne electro-optical phased array (HEOPA). The spatial resolution of the SPIDER can be increased if the size limitations of the photonic integrated circuits (PICs) are overcome.